Before the mid 1900s, the death rate for doctors was particularly high as they often contracted the very illnesses they were trying to cure. This often left medical families in dire straits and Dr John Propert responded to this wholeheartedly by establishing Epsom College.
Mindful of older members… who needed care
Furthermore, Dr Propert was mindful of the older members of the profession who needed care. So, he designed the School to incorporate accommodation for individual elderly medical doctors or elderly widows of doctors, in financial difficulties. The Pensioners, as they were known, inhabited small apartments with shared services specifically designed to meet their needs and comfort.
Born in 1793 in Blaenpistyll, Blaenannerch, Cardiganshire, Dr Propert was the only son of Thomas Propert and his wife Jane. After an early education at Cardigan Grammar School, in 1808, at the age of 15, he joined the Cardiganshire militia. With no resources to buy a commission, he left to become a surgeon’s assistant in Cardigan, learning the work of an apothecary (a modern-day pharmacist).
Aged 17, with money from a relation, Dr Propert joined St Bartholomew’s Hospital in Smithfield, London, as a medical student. He was licensed as a naval surgeon and was a Member of the Royal College of Surgeons by the age of 21.
Through Dr Propert’s incredible hard work and relentless determination, the School was established and opened to its first 100 pupils in 1855. It was designed in the Gothic style with the Chapel deliberately placed at the heart of the campus.
“A poor apothecary from Wales”
Dr Propert always referred to himself as a “poor apothecary from Wales”; he had no pretensions of grandeur. But he was a man who had made the most of his education and career; the School motto of “Benevolence and Excellence” encapsulates him. Historical accounts indicate he was self deprecating, hard working and very aware of the need to help others.
Due to a large expansion of the premises, four new houses were created in 1883, including Propert. Conceived as a boarding house, it is now a day house. For the house crest it was given the top of the Propert family crest: an eagle and the Propert family motto “Dyfalad”. Translated from the Welsh: “to persevere or keep going forward”.
